Access Sport | AFC Telford United

Based onsite at AFC Telford Utd within the dedicated education centre, students study towards a two year Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sports Development and Coaching qualification that is attached to one of our industry career focused pathway in either  coaching & teaching or sports science . Both the qualification and course pathways are 100% practical and cover a wide variety of topics across a wide range of sporting careers.

The course allows students to focus on developing industry relevant skills, knowledge and experiences to support their progression onto university, U.S Scholarships, Apprenticeships or our Level 4 HNC qualification.

We also offer a one year Level 2 Diploma in Physical Preparation & Employability  which upon passing provides students the opportunity to progress onto our Level 3 Extended Diploma or future careers within areas such as the public sector.

For those who may not achieve their grade 4 in Maths and English GCSE the first time around, weekly sessions are timetabled to support development and preparation towards resitting exams alongside their diploma studies.

Being based within a live football business provides students with great opportunities to gain invaluable work experiences across a range of disciplines including community coaching, physio, media, event management and more.

Weekly professional development hours are included within the timetable (Go Live) enabling students to develop employability and important skills, contacts and experiences that can be transferable to any future career.

On the pitch, our UEFA coaches provide elite player development and strength and conditioning sessions ensuring players maximise their ability utilising the latest in performance analysis technology including VEO Cameras, Playertek GPS Vests and Sports Coaching Session Planner. This provides students with an elite academy experience and the opportunity for those seeking a careers in coaching, sports science and analysis to get hands on experience with technology used in the professional game.

And for those that impress, there are direct links into the successful Telford U18 Academy Team who compete in the FA Youth Cup, Midlands Junior Premier League and Shropshire FA Premier Youth Cup.  The academy have won a series of leagues and produced players who have signed first team contracts as well as played football in countries around the world.

Throughout the season students will also have the opportunity to take part in national tournaments and annual international tours that feature elite academies from across the world.